parent[hood] put on some gangsta.rap and handle it

12 books to read in 2017

One of the things I wanted to do more of in 2017 was to read more books. I must say I am very proud of myself. I have already finished my January book and ¼ of the way thru my February book.

My love for books goes way back. I remember having a tall white book shelf in my small room stuffed to the max with books. I even had a complete encyclopedia collection. I would spend hours organizing and reorganizing my books. In ABC order by Title, ABC order by Author, by color, by height, by theme…. I loved books and I loved being able to get lost in a story. While all the kids played in the ditch catching crawdads you would find me on the edge with my nose in a book.

Are you there God it’s me, Margaret

Pippi Longstockings

Harris and Me

The Boxcar Children

Bridge to Terabithia

Summer of the Monkeys

But as I got older and life got busier, reading was soon placed in the backburner. We live in such a fast-paced world that even when I would try to read I just couldn’t concentrate and I would end up just skimming it and trying to read only the good parts. But I have slowly begun to get back to my old ways and can read a book from beginning to end, getting lost in the stories and losing track of time.

Below is a list of the 12 books I plan on reading this year, one for each month.

12 books in 12 months

January – A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi: Compassion abounds in this story of the complications surrounding surrogacy. Priya lives in Silicon Valley and is willing to do anything to have a child and grow her family. Asha lives in India and must make tough decisions to be able to help provide for her son who is extremely intelligent and needs to go to a private school.

February – The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter: The beautiful struggle of a girl desperate for the one relationship that has caused her the most pain.

March – The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena: A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives.

April – Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline: Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful tale of upheaval and resilience, second chances, and unexpected friendship.

May – All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: You won’t soon forget this heart-wrenching, unflinching story of love shared, a life lived, and two teens who find each other while standing on the edge.

June – The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez: Woven into their stories are the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America. Their journeys and their voices will inspire you, surprise you, and break your heart. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

July – 100 Days of Happiness by Fausto Brizzi: What would you do if you knew you only had 100 days left to live? For Lucio Battistini, it’s a chance to spend the rest of his life the way he always should have—by making every moment count. Wistful, touching, and often hilarious, it reminds us all to remember the preciousness of life and what matters most.

August – Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, & Lynn Vincent: A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

September – Difficult Women by Roxane Gay: a collection of stories of rare force and beauty, of hardscrabble lives, passionate loves, and quirky and vexed human connection. From a girls’ fight club to a wealthy subdivision in Florida where neighbors conform, compete, and spy on each other, Gay delivers a wry, beautiful, haunting vision of modern America reminiscent of Merritt Tierce, Jamie Quatro, and Miranda July.

October – Human Acts by Han Kang: In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed. An award-winning, controversial bestseller, HUMAN ACTS is a timeless, pointillist portrait of a historic event with reverberations still being felt today, by turns tracing the harsh reality of oppression and the resounding, extraordinary poetry of humanity.

November – Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson: That infamous village that’s needed to raise a child comes to fruition when a brilliant researcher creates a communal parenting experiment.This is another bittersweet story about messed-up families from the talented Wilson (The Family Fang, 2011, etc.) but one in which the author stays a bit more grounded, keeping an atmosphere of emotional authenticity that rings true.

December – This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: This is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. And it’s about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard and miraculous and hard again, parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts, children grow but not always according to plan. And families with secrets don’t get to keep them forever.

If you have read any of these books I would live to hear what you thought about them.

And if you would like to read along with me, we can start a little mini book club over wine and chocolate cake 🙂